Recaps

After breaking through to Qi Refining, Chu Bai told Daoist Zhang and learned that he had one month to prepare for the Dao Academy Selection. Daoist Zhang gave him Qi-Replenishing Pills and ordered him to practice the Spirit Water Needle, leaving Chu Bai eager to train.

• Chu Bai visited Daoist Zhang and demonstrated that he had reached Qi Refining.
• Chu Bai explained that watching the rain had given him insight and helped him break through the Hundred-Thread Barrier.
• Daoist Zhang warned Chu Bai that he had one month before the Dao Academy Selection and needed to improve his Spell Arts and combat skills.
• Daoist Zhang excused Chu Bai from miscellaneous classes and instructed him to make the Spirit Water Needle proficient.
• Daoist Zhang gave Chu Bai ten Qi-Replenishing Pills and told him to repeatedly exhaust and restore his spiritual energy while practicing.
• Chu Bai left the Zhang Residence determined to train and advance the Spirit Water Needle.

Chu Bai left his family to train in seclusion by the Three-Bath River for the Dao Academy Selection. After improving his Spirit Water Needle control and replenishing his Spell Power with a Qi-Replenishing Pill, he killed a carp with a precise volley.

• Chu Bai told Chu Xianglin and Li Qing he would spend a month training by the river, and Li Qing packed him flatbreads for the journey.
• Chu Bai practiced forming and controlling three Spirit Water Needles, refining his aim after one needle veered off target.
• Chu Bai exhausted his Spell Power, swallowed a Qi-Replenishing Pill, and felt his meridians strengthen as his energy returned.
• Chu Bai tested his aim on a leaping carp and killed it with a three-needle attack.

Chu Bai relentlessly trained Spirit Water Needle through storms on the Three-Bath River until he reached proficiency. He left with a stronger, stealthier spell and set his sights on the Dao Academy Selection.

• Chu Bai concluded that ordinary sparring could not activate his Seven Killings in the Fate Palace and chose not to risk his life seeking a real battle.
• With ten days left in the month, Chu Bai doubled his cultivation and used rain and storms to improve his Spirit Water Needle.
• During a storm, Chu Bai reached 99 progress and unleashed five water needles that curved through the rain and struck the river together.
• Chu Bai advanced Spirit Water Needle to Proficient, gaining instantaneous casting, greater concealment, and the ability to curve the needles with his spiritual sense.
• Chu Bai declared that he was ready for the Dao Academy Selection.

After returning from a month-long retreat, Chu Bai told his family that his cultivation had improved and prepared to take the Dao Academy Selection. At dawn, he left for the county town determined to make the most of his chance.

• Chu Bai returned home, reassured Li Qing and Chu Xianglin, and announced that he would register for the Dao Academy Selection.
• Li Qing prepared a celebratory feast, and Chu Bai agreed to stay with his Second Uncle in town during the three-day examination and repay the family debt.
• Chu Bai counted his savings, set aside money to repay his Second Uncle, and used the Visualization Tranquil Heart Mantra to prepare for the examination.
• At dawn, Chu Bai dressed in his master's robe, said goodbye to his parents, and set out for the county town.

Chu Bai passed the Dao Academy Selection’s registration screening in Anping County and received a token to enter the examination the next morning. Outside the registration site, he reunited with Gu Qinghe, who had just broken through to Qi Refining and rushed inside to register.

• A brocade-clad youth withdrew from registration after the examiner warned that falsifying his Bone Age would bring severe consequences.
• The examiner verified Chu Bai’s credentials and found his Qi Refining First Layer cultivation pure and his foundation solid.
• Chu Bai received his registration token and left the courtyard to prepare for a visit to his Second Uncle’s home.
• Chu Bai ran into Gu Qinghe, who revealed that he had broken through to Qi Refining the previous night.
• Chu Bai urged Gu Qinghe to register before the site closed, and Gu Qinghe hurried inside.

After leaving the Dao Academy registration office, Chu Bai repaid his Second Uncle’s four-tael loan and gave gifts to Liu Shi, who insulted him before greedily accepting the money. He chose not to ask to stay at their house and walked away to find lodging in Anping County before the Dao Academy Selection.

• Chu Bai bought osmanthus cakes and fabric before visiting his Second Uncle’s home to repay the family’s debt.
• Liu Shi mocked Chu Bai and assumed he had come to borrow money, but he calmly showed her four taels of silver and five hundred copper coins in interest.
• Liu Shi snatched the repayment and accepted Chu Bai’s gifts, then questioned where he had gotten the money.
• Chu Bai sensed another familiar person in the courtyard and decided not to ask to stay the night.
• Chu Bai left the house feeling relieved and set out to find a place to stay in Anping County.

After repaying his debt, Chu Bai went to his master Daoist Zhang, who tested his Spirit Water Needle and explained the Dao Academy Selection’s three trials. Daoist Zhang invited Chu Bai to stay at his residence, and he agreed before the exam the next morning.

• Chu Xianghai and Liu Shi counted the money Chu Bai had repaid, then decided not to invite him to stay with them.
• Chu Bai visited Daoist Zhang and demonstrated a Spirit Water Needle that pierced an Ironwood target and the wall behind it.
• Daoist Zhang explained that the selection tested Qi Gathering, Spirit Control, and the Dao Heart through a Heart Inquiry illusion.
• After learning Chu Bai could not conveniently stay with his Second Uncle, Daoist Zhang offered him a room at the residence and access to its Spirit-Gathering Array.
• Chu Bai accepted Daoist Zhang’s offer, and Daoist Zhang said he would take him to the examination grounds the next morning.

Chu Bai arrived at the Anping Examination Hall for the Dao Academy Selection and learned that the first trial would test how much spiritual energy each candidate could gather. As the Celestial Court Law Net created Spirit-Gathering Platforms and the trial began, Chu Bai prepared to take his place among the twenty-seven candidates.

• Chu Bai left the Zhang Residence after Daoist Zhang advised him to keep a still mind and not grasp for too much.
• Chu Bai reached the Examination Hall, where he exchanged a nod with Gu Qinghe, his fellow student and competitor.
• Chu Bai passed the strict entrance inspection and surrendered his Tranquil Heart Jade Ring before joining the other candidates.
• County Commandant Zhang introduced the selection and summoned a projection of the Celestial Court Law Net, which created a hundred Spirit-Gathering Platforms.
• County Commandant Zhang explained that candidates would gather spiritual energy over five rounds and store it in Jade Rings to determine their rankings.
• The bronze gong sounded, the platforms lit up with colorful spiritual energy, and the first trial began.

During the first round of the assessment, Chu Bai chose a Water Attribute Spirit-Gathering Platform and used his Pure Bathing Spell Power to clear impurities from his meridians, allowing him to absorb spiritual qi faster than the other examinees. As the hour ended, the Law Net shifted the platforms’ attributes, and Chu Bai braced for the next round.

• Chu Bai assessed the Spirit-Gathering Platforms and raced another examinee to claim a Water Attribute platform.
• Chu Bai used the Minor Qi Gathering Technique to channel filtered spiritual qi into his Jade Ring, beginning to score points.
• As impurities began to clog his meridians, Chu Bai washed them away with his Pure Bathing Spell Power and kept absorbing at increasing speed.
• A nearby examinee marveled at Chu Bai’s pace, while Gu Qinghe watched with a bitter smile as Chu Bai pulled ahead.
• The Law Net trembled as the first round ended, and Chu Bai stopped absorbing when the platforms’ attributes began to change.

Chu Bai adapted to the second round of the assessment by claiming a metal-attribute Spirit-Gathering Platform and converting its sharp energy into water spiritual energy. As the round neared its end, he remained determined to compete despite learning nothing of the reduced admissions quota.

• Chu Bai found the water-attribute platforms already occupied and chose a nearby metal-attribute platform because metal gave rise to water.
• Chu Bai endured the metal energy cutting through his meridians and transformed it into water spiritual energy that flowed into his Jade Ring.
• Li Wenyuan praised Chu Bai’s foundation and adaptability, while Zhang Cheng and Zhao Wu discussed the county academy’s two remaining places.
• Zhao Wu identified Wang Teng, Li Han, and Chu Bai as the leading candidates, with Li Han first, Wang Teng second, and Chu Bai third.
• Chu Bai continued cultivating as the second round neared its end and resolved to fight for a place.

Chu Bai overcame his poor results in the third and fourth rounds by claiming a Minor Pure Qi platform in the final round, where his Pure-Origin foundation let him absorb spiritual energy faster than anyone else. He finished the five-hour test with a full thread of spiritual energy in his Jade Ring, far ahead of the other candidates.

• Chu Bai struggled with wood and metal spiritual energy in the third and fourth rounds, while the impurities accumulated in his meridians and his ranking slipped.
• Chu Bai seized a nearby platform glowing with Minor Pure Qi in the fifth round, overtaking two candidates who wanted it.
• Li Wenyuan and Zhao Wu realized Chu Bai had built his foundation with Pure-Origin Spiritual Qi when his absorption speed surged.
• Chu Bai's [Pure Bathing Spell Power] cleared the accumulated metal and wood energies from his meridians, and his Jade Ring's brightness propelled him from fourth or fifth place to the lead.
• After the final gong, Zhao Wu inspected Chu Bai's Jade Ring and announced that it contained a full thread of spiritual energy, stunning everyone on the grounds.

Chu Bai earned a Top Grade A by gathering a full wisp of qi in the first stage of the examination, stunning the candidates and examiners. After recovering at the Zhang Residence, he prepared for the next day’s Spell Arts assessment, aware that his limited repertoire could put him at a disadvantage.

• Li Wenyuan examined Chu Bai’s Jade Ring, confirmed it held a full wisp of qi, and awarded him a Top Grade A.
• Li Han and Wang Teng reacted with shock and respect as the candidates recognized Chu Bai’s overwhelming result.
• Zhao Wu and Li Wenyuan praised Chu Bai’s potential but noted that he still had to pass the Spell Arts and Heart Inquiry stages.
• On his way back to the Zhang Residence, Chu Bai reflected on how his Minor Qi Gathering Technique, Fate Destinies, and luck had contributed to his score.
• Chu Bai recovered in the Quiet Chamber with a Qi-Replenishing Pill and considered the challenges awaiting him in the Spell Arts assessment.

Chu Bai competed in the spellcraft trial, destroying seventy-five puppets and earning second place with a Lower A rating. After recovering briefly, he faced the upcoming final trial, the heart inquiry.

• Zhang Cheng began the spellcraft trial, placing each candidate in a compartment with Beast-Shadow Puppets to destroy.
• Chu Bai used his Spirit Water Needle and footwork to defeat puppets as their numbers and varieties increased.
• The examiners noted Li Han's area attacks, Wang Teng's skill, and Chu Bai's precision despite his limited spell repertoire.
• The results placed Li Han first with seventy-nine puppets, Chu Bai second with seventy-five, and Wang Teng third with sixty-eight.
• Zhang Cheng announced the heart inquiry as the final trial, and Chu Bai took a Qi-Replenishing Pill and began Breath Regulation.

Chu Bai overcame the Heart Inquiry Trial by rejecting illusions of wealth and power and affirming his desire to keep pursuing the Dao. He became the first examinee to awaken, and after the trials ended, he left with Gu Qinghe to celebrate Gu's breakthrough into Qi Refining.

• Zhang Cheng began the Heart Inquiry Trial, trapping Chu Bai in an illusion of a prosperous life and supreme power.
• Chu Bai recalled his relentless efforts and broke free after declaring that he cultivated to keep moving forward and discover the Dao.
• Chu Bai awakened before the other examinees, impressing Zhang Cheng, Li Wenyuan, and Zhao Wu with his clear gaze and firm Dao heart.
• The remaining examinees awakened as the incense burned down, and the Law Net dispersed to end the three trials.
• Chu Bai met Gu Qinghe outside the Examination Hall and invited him to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion to celebrate his breakthrough into Qi Refining.

The three examiners debated whether Chu Bai deserved Grade A in the Heart Inquiry Trial, despite the risks of requesting approval from the Provincial Government's Dao Academy. They jointly submitted the recommendation, and the distant authority approved it.

• Li Wenyuan urged Zhang Cheng and Zhao Wu to award Chu Bai Grade A for breaking free of the delusion quickly with an exceptionally clear Dao Heart.
• Zhao Wu warned that Grade A required official approval and that a rejected recommendation could damage the examiners' careers.
• Li Wenyuan argued that Chu Bai deserved recognition and resources, and Zhang Cheng agreed to support the Grade A recommendation.
• Zhang Cheng, Li Wenyuan, and Zhao Wu used their seals and the Law Net to submit their joint report to the Provincial Government's Dao Academy.
• The Dao Academy's supreme will reviewed the recorded trial and approved Chu Bai's Grade A result.

After the Dao Academy examinations, Chu Bai shared a meal with Gu Qinghe, who accepted that he might not pass and planned to support his family as a Rogue Cultivator. Chu Bai reported his results to Daoist Zhang, then chose to return home to reassure his parents, leaving the Zhang Residence beneath the moon.

• Gu Qinghe told Chu Bai he feared his weak examination results and Bone Age would keep him out of the Dao Academy, but he had made peace with becoming a Rogue Cultivator and supporting his mother.
• Chu Bai praised Gu Qinghe's resilience, and the two drank together before parting outside the restaurant.
• Chu Bai collected leftover food for his family and told Daoist Zhang about his examination performance; Daoist Zhang said he was almost certain to pass and offered to teach him while they waited for the results.
• Chu Bai asked to visit his worried parents before returning for Daoist Zhang's guidance, and Daoist Zhang agreed.
• Chu Bai walked home beneath the moon at an unhurried pace.

Chu Bai returned home after the Dao Academy examinations and shared a late-night meal with his proud family. He reviewed his new Qi Refining abilities and cultivated until dawn, when he prepared to see the examination results posted.

• Chu Bai came home at night, and Chu Xianglin and Li Qing welcomed him with relief.
• Chu Bai shared roast chicken and beef with his family and told them about the examinations, leaving out the hardships.
• Chu Bai examined his cultivation panel and assessed his Qi Refining progress, techniques, skills, and Fate Destiny.
• Chu Bai decided to seek new Spell Arts and spirit food while establishing himself at the Qi Refining stage.
• Chu Bai cultivated through the night and woke at dawn, anticipating the posted results.

Chu Bai topped Anping County’s Dao Academy Selection as a Three-Grade Champion, while Li Han placed second and Wang Teng was eliminated. County Commandant Zhang Cheng congratulated Chu Bai and revealed that the Provincial Government’s Dao Academy had personally ruled on his Heart Inquiry score.

• After three days of waiting, candidates and townspeople gathered at the Examination Hall to see the posted results.
• Li Han placed second, while Wang Teng’s third-place result failed to qualify him for admission.
• Chu Bai took first place with A grades in all three trials and was admitted to Azure Cloud Academy as a Three-Grade Champion.
• Gu Qinghe celebrated Chu Bai’s victory, and Chu Bai felt pride at his unexpected results.
• County Commandant Zhang Cheng congratulated Chu Bai and learned that Daoist Zhang was already his master.
• Zhang Cheng explained that the Provincial Government’s Dao Academy had personally ruled on Chu Bai’s Lower A Heart Inquiry result.

After taking first place, Chu Bai received congratulations and connections from Anping County’s influential residents while his master, Daoist Zhang, arranged a banquet to help establish his standing. The chapter ended with Chu Bai preparing to enter the Dao Academy the next morning and receive his ordination register.

• Chu Xianghai and Liu Shi watched Chu Bai’s victory from the edge of the crowd, regretted their earlier treatment of him, and left without approaching him.
• Chu Bai politely declined the townspeople’s invitations so he could report his results to his master and parents, while Gu Qinghe told him he had been offered a teaching assistant position at the academy.
• Daoist Zhang arrived, and Chu Bai formally thanked his master for his guidance and announced that he had taken first place.
• Daoist Zhang invited Anping County’s influential residents to a banquet, where he introduced Chu Bai to people who could help him after he entered the Dao Academy.
• After the banquet, Daoist Zhang told Chu Bai to rest and report to the Dao Academy early the next morning to receive his ordination register.

After placing first in the county examination, Chu Bai prepared to leave for Great Wall Prefecture and accepted Li Han’s offer to travel together. He returned home to a village celebration, settled his affairs, and set out to begin a new journey the next morning.

• Chu Bai met Li Han at the restaurant, agreed they would look out for each other at the Prefectural Dao Academy, and arranged to travel together early the next morning.
• Chu Bai returned to his village and found the clan head, village chief, and villagers celebrating his examination success with his family.
• Chu Bai accepted the elders’ silver and explained that the celebration feast should wait because he had to leave for the Prefectural City the next day.
• Chu Bai searched the Three-Bath River for the spirit flow that had helped him cultivate, but found it had drifted away.
• Chu Bai returned his rented boat to the old fisherman, insisted on paying the remaining rent, and walked home after settling his ties to the village.

Chu Bai left home for the Prefectural Dao Academy after refusing merchants’ offers and leaving money for his parents. As he and Li Han traveled toward Great Plains Prefecture, they learned that most of the academy’s new disciple places went to locals, putting the county recruits at a disadvantage.

• Chu Bai left a letter and twenty taels of silver for his parents, then departed Anping County before dawn.
• Chu Bai recalled refusing the bookstore owner’s hundred-tael offer but accepting silver from local elders to build goodwill and protect his parents.
• Qian Shen and Anping County’s officials and academies saw Chu Bai and Li Han off, and Daoist Zhang urged Chu Bai to begin his journey steadily.
• Li Wenyuan told Chu Bai and Li Han that the Prefectural Dao Academy would ordain three hundred new disciples, while the seventy-two counties received only two places each.
• Li Wenyuan explained that the remaining places went to Prefectural City locals, and Chu Bai and Li Han faced the prospect of competing against recruits with greater resources and experience.

Chu Bai and Li Han arrived at the Prefectural Dao Academy, where Chu Bai’s exceptional examination results earned Instructor Sun’s respect. During the Ordination ceremony, Chu Bai received the Great Zhou Dao Registry’s Gray Ordination, and a familiar tremor hinted that his panel was about to change.

• Li Wenyuan handed Chu Bai and Li Han over to Instructor Sun, who changed his attitude after learning Chu Bai had earned Grade A in all three subjects.
• Chu Bai and Li Han entered the Fortune-Bearing Hall and waited among students from Prefectural City and the counties.
• Deputy Head Lu He explained the Law Net, the Dao Academy, and the purpose of Ordination before beginning the ceremony.
• The Law Net bestowed Gray Ordination on Chu Bai, making the surrounding spiritual energy clearer and more accessible to him.
• Chu Bai felt a familiar tremor in his sea of consciousness and suspected his Fate Destiny panel was about to change.

After receiving Ordination, Chu Bai gained a new Fate Pattern tied to merit, wrongdoing, and Fortune, then settled into life at the Dao Academy. He met his three roommates and learned that classes and strict assessments would begin the next morning, leaving him eager to earn Dao Merit and explore the scripture repository.

• Chu Bai examined his new Fate Pattern, which enhanced his other active Fate Destinies when he gained Fortune and tempered his Dao Heart through adversity caused by wrongdoing.
• Vice Dean Lu He assigned the newly ordained disciples to classes, and Chu Bai learned he was in Class Three while Li Han was in Class Two.
• Chu Bai found his room in the Dao Academy's residential quarters and met his roommates Jiang Kuo, Zhou Tong, and Chen Shi.
• Jiang Kuo explained that the first three months involved general studies and strict assessments that could cost students Dao Merit, which could be traded for resources.
• Chu Bai and his roommates discussed the scripture repository and cultivation techniques before settling in for the night.

Chu Bai attended his first Class Three lecture at the Dao Academy, where Zhou Changkong taught the students about Qi Refining and introduced them to talismans. Chu Bai successfully activated a Clean-Clothes Talisman and looked forward to the upcoming Spell Arts class.

• Chu Bai and his roommates went to Class Three's lecture hall for their first lesson.
• Zhou Changkong introduced himself as their teacher and explained how Qi Refining distinguished cultivators from mortals.
• Zhou Changkong gave every student a Clean-Clothes Talisman and taught them to activate it with spiritual energy.
• Chu Bai activated his talisman, which cleansed his body and clothes, while many other students succeeded as well.
• Zhou Changkong discussed spiritual qi, cultivation paths, and Dao Academy rules, then announced that Spell Arts class would begin in fifteen minutes.

During spell arts class, Ji Yu assessed Chu Bai’s spiritual energy and cultivation foundation, then offered him a choice between a specialized water method and the versatile Origin Return Formula. Chu Bai chose the Origin Return Formula, believing his talents suited its potential for growth.

• Ji Yu began assessing students and recommended cultivation methods suited to their spiritual energy and existing techniques.
• Jiang Kuo demonstrated his earth-attribute energy and Rock Spire Method, and Ji Yu advised him to obtain the Thick Earth Formula.
• Chu Bai demonstrated his pure-origin spiritual qi blended with water-attribute energy and controlled three water needles.
• Ji Yu discovered that Chu Bai had cultivated the Minor Qi Gathering Technique to proficiency and explained that he could choose the Clearstream Qi-Nourishing Scripture or the Origin Return Formula.
• Chu Bai decided that the Origin Return Formula best suited his talents and firmly chose it.